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Policy Brief: Securing the Future of Mangroves

Mangroves are vital for food security and protection of coastal communities; they provide a wide diversity of forest products, nurseries for aquatic species, fishing grounds, carbon sequestration, and crucial natural coastal defences that mitigate the impact of erosion and storm action. Nevertheless, nearly all mangrove nations have experienced net losses in mangrove cover in recent decades as a result of human activity. Public attention has been sporadic and has failed to prevent the continued — and sometimes alarming — disappearance of these valuable coastal ecosystems. Their fate is often determined by high-level policy decisions and failure to enforce protective measures.

Based on the 2nd edition of the World Atlas of Mangroves, the policy brief ‘Securing the Future of Mangroves’ provides managers and decision-makers from around the world with straight-forward options for robust management and policy responses, and up-to-date information on the current status of mangrove ecosystems and their most pressing threats. It describes which instruments and measures are readily available to help conserve and manage mangrove ecosystems for the future, and analyses and highlights different lessons learned from around the world with regards to conservation, management, and policy measures for protecting mangroves.